Rainbow Kingdom
by Kriskahn
Summary: Entry for Pick a Pic Challenge.  Dr. Bella Swan ends up falling for a patient in the hospital for the mentally ill where she works.


**Pick A Pic Challenge****  
****Title: Rainbow Kingdom**  
**Penname: Kriskahn**  
**Banner: Entry #7**  
**http: / / i398 . photobucket . com/albums/pp69/ms_ambrosia/pick_a_pic/overtherainbow .jpg**  
******Rating/ Disclaimer: PG-13… if that. **I own nothing but the plot and my creative imagination. :)  
**Summary: Dr. Bella Swan ends up falling for a patient in a hospital for the mentally ill she works for.**

******To see all the stories that are a part of this contest please visit: www .fanfiction-challenges. blogspot. com**

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**Author's Note: **I want to thank PrincessKris for beta'ing this for me. You are truly awesome, lovely! And TwiFicPic for holding this awesome contest!

I hope you all enjoy!

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_What if they weren't crazy? What if the realities that they believed they were in were actually real_? I know as a doctor that I shouldn't be using the term 'crazy', but this is the question that always burns in my mind whenever I make my rounds. I graduated from medical school three years ago and after completing a fellowship and residency in Seattle, I accepted a position here at the Forks Hospital for the Mentally Ill. I am the new kid on the block so I only have a handful of patients; seven to be exact.

I turn around in my large brown leather chair and stair out the window behind me. I started here about six months ago. The fact that my mother lost her mind and killed my father for no other reason than temporary insanity boggled my mind at the young age of ten and the day she was sentenced to life in prison I made it my goal to try and figure out how the mind works.

The patients I am assigned to aren't too violent. It's just none of them live in this reality. When provoked or threatened, they'll lash out physically, though wouldn't we all?

Patient number 48732 thinks she's a fairy and can see the future. She's only seventeen. Her parents committed her when they caught her trying to jump out of her third-story bedroom window with the fairy wings they bought her for a Halloween costume strapped to her back. They thought she was trying to kill herself at the time, but Alice Brandon simply explained she was just trying to fly. They knew then that there was a problem with their dear Alice. Alice likes to pretend to sprinkle me with fairy dust and tell me what my future holds.

Patient number 48739 thinks she's a queen. You might wonder how that could land you here in an insane asylum, but it does when you hit the cop that's arresting you for shop lifting makeup. She felt that since she was royalty and didn't have to pay for anything. After several more shop lifting charges and a few more assaults, her two younger brothers felt the need to commit her two years ago at the age of twenty-three. They just couldn't handle her any longer. Rosalie Hale is one of the harder patients to deal with simply because she feels so privileged and holier-than-thou that it's difficult to get her to cooperate, unless of course, patient number 48720 is involved.

Speaking of patient number 48720, he was bitten by a bear when he was eighteen. His brothers were with him, shot the bear when they saw the attack, and rushed him to the hospital. However, the doctors botched the care of his wounds. Emmett McCarty contracted a fever from the infection of his wounds that fried his brain. His family started noticing his behavioral changes after his fever broke and his wounds finally healed. He started acting like a bear. It's amusing to watch at times when he runs around on his hands and knees roaring and raising hell. However, he's more like Winnie the Pooh than a grizzly. He's never attacked anyone, and when asked he simply says that he's not a violent bear.

Patient number 48736 is one of my favorites. When I say that my patients don't live in this reality, I mean it. Jasper Whitlock believes he's a solider of the Civil War. His father is a history buff and that's where we believe he came up with his identity. He acts just like a gentleman from the late 1800s. He opens doors, tips his imaginary hat, and has a special place in his southern heart for a certain little fairy. Alice takes notice of his smiles by giving him a little extra fairy dust. The problem that landed Mr. Whitlock here is that he also acted like a Civil War soldier and any 'Yankee' that got in his way he tried to pick a fight with. Also, it's illegal to carry a rifle in the streets of Seattle.

Patient number 48725 amuses me greatly. He believes he's a doctor. Apparently, Carlisle Cullen was in a rather horrible automobile accident when he was in his mid-twenties. It left him in a coma for almost a year and when he came out of it, he was a completely different person. He was on his way to becoming a priest when this happened. Thankfully, he had no wife or children, just his parents. They didn't see any problem with him since he was still completely functional, but the law seemed to have a problem with the illegal medical practice he set up. When they realized he was insane during his trial, they parked him here. That is nearly six years ago. He likes to 'help' me make my rounds when he can.

Patient number 48743 is one of the saddest cases I've ever come across. Esme Evenson lost her child to SIDS when he was only two months old. Esme and her husband, Charles, both took it very hard. Apparently, they had been trying for a couple of years to conceive a baby and were very excited when they finally got pregnant. Esme just lost it when their son died. She tried killing herself several times and finally Charles couldn't take it anymore. He committed her here about two years ago, filed for divorce, and left Washington state to start over. Carlisle likes to look after her the most. Esme treats all of the people that she comes in contact with her like they're her child, no matter their age or ethnicity. Esme and I do share one thing in common: our adoration for patient number 48722.

If I were ever one of those horrible doctors that took advantage of her patients, he would be the one I would take advantage of. He's the one that makes me question sanity as a whole. What exactly does deem a person insane? It's hard to believe after you talk with him that he should even be here.

Edward Masen's parents committed him when he was sixteen, almost ten years ago. Though, he didn't come to this hospital in Forks until last year. I truly feel Edward could manage outside of these walls with a little assistance, but it's not my decision. The higher-ups here feel that he's a danger to himself. Edward likes to draw. His fingers are constantly black from the charcoal he uses to create his art. I have many of his pieces hanging around my apartment. Edward's drawings aren't always what people would consider beautiful. He tells me they reflect his soul and a soul is not always a pretty thing to look at.

Edward's problems consist of eating disorders, random delusions, and, what a few of my colleagues believe, a lasting reality delusion. There are some mixed feelings about his delusions and altered state of reality. He often refers to himself as King Edward and he talks about how his kingdom is made up of rainbows, a sparkly castle on a mountain top, and horse drawn carriages without horses. However, he always says it with a grin on his face, like there's a secret that he knows that we don't.

His eating disorders are simply because he'd rather be drawing than anything else. Even when he comes to the group sessions, he brings a pad and pencil so he can continue drawing. He rarely shows anyone his artwork, but I've walked in on him several times creating something wonderful. I take his delusions about as serious as I do his altered reality. He only has these delusions when he looks out his window. He says he can see his kingdom and all its magnificent creatures: the unicorns in the stream, the large birds in the sky, and recently, the two swans near the bank of the stream. For him to draw such dark and ominous art, his world sure is bright and cheerful. I believe that after ten years he is just imaging a world that is better than his own.

I look at my watch and see that it's time to start my morning. My patients should be awake by now and have had their morning medicine and been given their breakfast. I know Rosalie has probably already caused some problems with the orderlies and I doubt Edward has even touched any of his food. I get up from my chair and walk over to my white coat that's hanging by the door. Today, I just don't feel like wearing it. I stand out from my patients so much when I have it on. I think sometimes they find it difficult to relate to me.

I grab my badge and clip it to the pock of my brown slacks. I grab my notepad and head out to start my morning routine. My assistant, Angela, meets me at the door with a cup of coffee.

"Rosalie is causing trouble this morning. You're going to need this."

I take a deep breath and the coffee from Angela, releasing the breath after I've taken my first sip. I smile at her. "Wish me luck."

She gives me a sympathetic smile. It's common knowledge that I'm Rosalie's least favorite person in the world for some reason. Carlisle tells me she feels threatened by my beauty. I can't understand that simply because Rosalie is gorgeous. I don't think I'm an ugly little duckling, but I can't compare to Rosalie.

As soon as I walk into the main hall, the two head nurses assigned to my patients, Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley, are waiting for me. Jessica sees me, grabs Mike's wrist, and makes a bee-line straight for me.

"Rosalie refuses to take her medicine. She says it's starting to make her break out. She's got a zit, Dr. Swan. One stupid zit."

I roll my eyes, but I can't help but giggle. Rosalie is the vainest person I've ever met. I turn and head towards the patient rooms. The hospital is a nice place. The halls and common rooms are a sterile hospital white. However, the patient rooms are rather nicely decorated. Each patient's room is designed the way they want it. Since none of the patients are completely off their rocker they are allowed to pick color motifs and decorations that they like. Their bathrooms, however, are the sterile white, though.

My first stop for the morning is always Rosalie. She always wakes up complaining about something. I knock on the open door and she spins around from her place in front of her mirror. She narrows her eyes and tells me in a very stern voice, "I refuse to take those pills."

I sigh. "Rosalie, they aren't causing you to breakout. Look at this rationally for a moment," I tell her as I walk further into her room. As I lean against her wall and explain, "You've been taking those same pills for a little over a year now. If they were going to cause you to breakout, then we would've seen that side-effect by now. If you want, I can get you some sort of cleanser or cream to put on it to help make it go away faster."

She folds her arms over her chest defiantly. "Yes. Do that. But until it goes away, I refuse to go to the group sessions."

"Rosalie, you know you have to attend those or you have to go see Doctor Snow. Everyone agrees the group sessions are easier."

"I don't care! Now get me my cleanser and leave me be!" She turns back to her mirror and frowns at the zit. "I can't let Emmett see this," she whispers as she continues to finger the bump.

"I'm going to need to see you take your medicine, Rosalie."

She narrows her eyes at my reflection in her mirror before turning around dramatically, causing her robe to poof out around her. She stomps over to the pills and her water, downing both. She thrusts both cups at Mike. "Now get out!"

I take a deep breath and hold it as I walk out with Mike and Jessica behind me. I stop in the middle of the hall and release my breath in a long sigh. "Always so difficult."

I hand my coffee to Mike and make a few notes of Rosalie's condition for the day while Jessica gets her empty breakfast tray. Once I've made a quick note about how she's still as 'queen' like as ever, I take my coffee and move onto the next room. Jasper Whitlock.

I knock on his door as I say, "Good morning, Jasper."

Jasper looks up from the book in his hand and smiles at me, standing and tipping his imaginary hat bowing slightly. The doctors first concluded that he really thought he was wearing a hat, but once he explained it's what he does when he isn't wearing one; they felt better about him doing it. It wasn't deemed _as_ crazy of an act.

"Good morning, Doctor Swan. How are you on this fine morning?"

I nod. "I'm fine. I can't complain. How are you?"

He smiles proudly. "I'm great! I plan to do a little target practice this afternoon."

I raise my eyebrows a little surprised. "Oh? Is that so? How do you plan on doing that?"

He points to the foot of his bed. "With my rifle of course. I've been saving them soup cans we eat out of during dinner. I plan on using them as my targets since I ain't got nothing else to shoot at."

The only thing on the foot of his bed is an extra blanket. I smile and nod. "Jasper, there isn't a rifle on the end of your bed. You don't have a rifle here, remember? You can't have weapons here."

He frowns at me for a second, then gives me a crooked smile, looking at me sideways. "That's a good one, doc."

He winks and then walks back over to his chair. "I need to get back to reading this here book. Alice gave it to me and I'd like to talk to her about it later."

I smile and nod. "Of course, Jasper."

Mike and Jessica grab his empty dishes and medicine cup, setting it on the cart as we walk out. I set my coffee on the cart this time as I make notes that Jasper's condition is still the same and his medicine doesn't really seem to be working.

I move onto Alice's room. I stand in the doorway and watch as she twirls around and around.

"That doesn't make you dizzy?"

She stops abruptly and smiles at me brightly. "Doctor Swan! Good morning!"

She skips over to me and wiggles her fingers above my head 'covering me in fairy dust'. She smiles at Mike and Jessica before skipping back into the middle of her room to continue to spin.

"How are you this morning, Alice?"

"Fine. I feel more energetic than usual." I make a note of this as she continues to talk. "I want to spin until the world is upside down." She stops abruptly again and smiles at me shyly. "Have you visited Jasper this morning?"

I nod. "I have. He's reading the book you gave him."

She claps excitedly. "Oh! Is he liking it?"

I shrug. "I'm not sure. He seemed to be pretty into it though."

She smiles brightly and starts spinning again, even faster this time. "Lovely. Just lovely! I told him he'd like it. I just knew he would. I can't wait to talk to him about it later."

Mike and Jessica grab her tray and set it on the cart. "I'm pretty sure he can't wait either, Alice. I'll see you later."

"You'll have a good day, Doctor Swan. Rosalie might have been extra difficult this morning, but by the end of your round, you'll be happy."

I laugh lightly. "I hope so, Alice."

I make a couple of more notes about Alice's usual jovial mood this morning. As we make our way to Carlisle's room, I tell Jessica, "Once we've checked on Esme, I need you to go back and check on Alice again and make sure she's okay. I know she's going to end up hurt doing all that spinning."

I should try to stop her, but I don't want to. When I was a child I loved spinning like that! Once I got older, though, my equilibrium seemed a bit off and I would usually just fall down or throw up. I envy her and I couldn't bring myself to stop her from having fun.

When I get to Carlisle's room, he's folding his clothes. Carlisle Cullen also has a small case of OCD. He has to have things a certain way or he can't stand it. The nurses wash and fold everyone's clothes but Carlisle has to have his clothes folded and put in his drawers a certain way. He won't tell the nurses they were doing it wrong. He just allows them to do it and then he redoes it after they leave.

"Good morning, Carlisle."

He turns to me, smiling brightly. "Oh, Doctor Swan! How are you this morning?"

"I'm doing well. How are you?"

He looks over at his clothes and then to me, folding his arms in front of him. "I'll be better in a few minutes." Mike grabs his tray. "Oh, that reminds me. The eggs this morning were a little… over cooked. Usually the cook always gets my eggs right, but… well, this morning they were wrong."

Like I said… OCD. Mike explains, "We got a new cook."

Carlisle frowns slightly. "Doctor Swan, would you permit me to go and speak with him? I would like to explain to him that I like to have my eggs a little runny."

I sigh. "Carlisle, the cook can't cater to everyone's needs. I'm afraid you're just going to have to deal with the food he gives you."

I open the top of his tray and see that Carlisle's eggs are pretty brown. I frown and look at Mike. "How about you go talk to the cook for Carlisle, hmm? Tell the cook he needs to do a better job. The patients can't eat food like this; a dog wouldn't eat food like this."

Mike smiles and nods. "Yes, of course, Doctor Swan."

Mike heads off to the kitchens. Carlisle excitedly tells me. "Thank you, Doctor Swan. I do love eggs in the morning."

He walks back over to his bed and continues to fold his clothes. "Other than that, everything is okay, Carlisle?"

"Oh, yes, Doctor Swan. Once I have these clothes put away, I plan do some light reading," he says as he motions to the large medical text on his night stand.

"Yes, I see just how light. I'll see you later, Carlisle."

"Have a good morning, Doctor Swan."

I jot down some notes about Carlisle's condition. If he weren't here, he'd be in jail. The big wigs aren't really worried about him getting better since he's here for the rest of his life no matter what.

We move towards the next room, this is the least favorite part of my mornings. Esme. Everything is always so hard for her in the morning.

"Good morning, Esme," I greet her as I knock on the door lightly.

She turns her head to the side slightly, acknowledging my presence. "Is it? I haven't seemed to notice."

She continues to stare out of her window, hugging herself tightly. My heart hurts for her. "How are you doing this morning?"

"Right as rain," she says sarcastically. She sighs and looks down. "I apologize, Doctor Swan. I'm just not up to the usual conversation this morning."

"I understand, Esme. If you need anything, please let me know."

She doesn't respond as Jessica and I walk out. Jessica touches my arm. "I'm going to check on Alice. Do you want me to come back?"

I shake my head. "No, you can go on about your daily duties. I'll grab Emmett and Edward's trays."

Jessica smiles and walks back to Alice's room. I make my way over to Emmett's room. He's curled up in a ball on the floor. "Emmett?"

He jumps, startled by my appearance. "Sorry," I tell him as he sits up.

He shakes his head and then his body, as if he were shaking something off. "It's okay."

"How are you this morning?"

"Hungry. Didn't get enough food."

"Yeah, we have a new cook, apparently. I'll see what I can do before lunch." He scratches his head and yawns, turning around and crawling into his bed. "Are you sleepy?"

He nods. "Bad dreams."

"What about?" I ask as I make notes.

"Another bear fight."

"Did you win?"

He smiles and nods. "But got attacked by more."

"How many more?"

He shrugs and lays his head down, closing his eyes and passing out before I can get any more information out of him. I grab his tray and set it on the cart, along with my half empty coffee cup. I make some more notes as I walk down to Edward's room.

I straighten my dark blue sweater and pull my hair over my shoulders before walking up to his door. I knock and see his food tray untouched. The silverware and napkins are still sitting neatly on top.

"Edward? Why haven't you eaten?"

He doesn't even acknowledge me. I look up to see him standing in front of his window at his easel drawing on a medium size canvas.

"Edward?"

He jumps and looks over his shoulder. His eyes get really big and he quickly covers up the picture. I can make out what looks like something flowing down, but I can't really see since he was in the way and now the sheet is covering it up before I can make anything concrete out.

"Bel—Doctor Swan. Good morning."

I frown slightly. He's never used my first name before. "Why haven't you eaten?" I ask as I point to the full tray of breakfast.

He swallows hard and blinks a few times before telling me. "I woke up with an image and I had to draw it."

I nod. "We've talked about this, Edward. No drawing until after breakfast. I know how hard it is to do that, but you have to eat."

He sighs and nods, setting his charcoal down and walking over to the tray. He's standing only a foot away from me. I look up at his face. He looks so underfed, sunken cheeks and eyes. One cheek has a charcoal smudge, as does his chin and forehead. His auburn hair is in its usual state of disarray with charcoal streaks in the front.

"How has your morning been?"

I sigh slowly. "Challenging, but you could make it so much better if you finished all your breakfast."

He smirks down at me as he takes his tray over to his desk. He opens it and frowns down at the food. "New cook?"

"How did you know?"

"The food doesn't even look edible."

I walk over to his desk and look down at the food. "This is ridiculous. Just, eat what you can. I promise lunch will be better."

I walk back towards the door. "Besides the drawing, how have you been this morning?"

He smiles as he pokes at his eggs with his fork. "I slept very well and woke up in a good mood."

I smile at him as he smiles up at me. "Good. That's good."

I write some notes about his mood and how he had to be forced to eat again. "I'll get Jessica to come make sure you eat."

"You don't have to," he tells me quickly.

I frown at him. "Is there a problem with Jessica?"

He opens his mouth to say something, but then shrugs. "I just don't need to be supervised. I promise I'll eat. If I don't, you can make me eat twice as much at lunch."

I shake my head. "That's not how it works. I'm not going to over feed you, Edward. This isn't a punishment."

"Then stay and watch me eat."

I cock an eyebrow at him and push on the door, keeping it slightly open. "Edward, is there a problem with Jessica?"

He shakes his head. "No, there's no problem with her. I'd just prefer to not have her watch me eat."

"And you'd rather have me watch you eat?"

"You will give me conversation, some kind of mental stimulation. She will just stand there and watch me like I'm going to horde the food in my cheeks like a squirrel and spit it out once she's gone."

I giggle and nod. "Okay, I can keep you company for breakfast."

I take a seat on the foot of his bed after opening his door a little more. "So, tell me what's on the great canvas this morning."

He shakes his head quickly. "No, this is one even you can't see."

I give him a sad face. "Why not? What do you have to hide from me? I have your art work hanging all over my home."

He laughs humorlessly. "What do you tell people that come over when they ask about it?"

I shake my head. "I don't have anyone that comes over."

He looks at me bemused. I shrug. "I guess I'm not as social as I should be. I'm more of a homebody."

"Do you not have friends?"

"That's really none of your business, Edward," I tell him in an amused tone. Edward tries to get personal information out of me whenever he can. Some things I don't mind telling him. He knows why I chose this career. He knows I have a cat and that I live in an apartment, but that's about it.

He chuckles and nods. "I'm still unsure as to why you can't tell us things."

"Because I'm not allowed to make the relationships with my patients personal. I'm here to be your doctor, not your friend."

The slightly jovial mood he had disappears. His face is blank and he doesn't speak again. He finishes his meal minutes later, pushing the tray away from him as he stands, moving in front of the covered canvas.

"I've eaten."

"Edward…"

"Please just leave me alone."

I sigh and grab his tray, placing it on the cart as I walk out. I look up and see Mike heading my way.

"Mike, the food was horrible. Emmett didn't get enough and Edward's was hardly edible."

Mike sighs and rubs his face. "I'll go say something. He's just new and nervous. He's going to end up hurting himself before the day is out."

I giggle as Mike walks off, shoulders sagging and feet heavy. I make my way back to my office, stopping in on Alice, who is no longer spinning, but sitting on her floor, swaying in a circle.

"Having fun?"

She smiles slightly. "Yes."

"Is the world upside down?"

"It's always upside down, Doctor Swan. Everything is upside down and backwards."

I sigh and nod. "So true."

She looks at me and frowns. "It's okay to open up, Doctor Swan."

I cock my eyebrow at her. "Your first prediction was wrong, you know."

She shakes her head. "It's all subjective. You changed the direction. Open yourself up to it and you will leave happy."

I frown at her, unsure of what she's talking about. I walk away from her door, shaking my head slightly. _She's not mentally stable, Bella. Stop taking what she says seriously._ I walk back into my office. Angela gives me a message that I missed a call from Doctor Snow. After returning the call and letting him know that Rosalie is refusing the group session, I get to work on my morning report.

It's just a simple write up of everyones actions and moods. When I get to my notes on Edward, I stop and lean back in my chair. I spin around and stare out the window again. I close my eyes and image Edward's kingdom. I lose myself in the world of rainbows and sparkling castles. I smile when I see him standing there. He wears a frown on his face, a red crown on his head, a dark blue coat thrown over his shoulders with matching slacks, and a wrinkled white shirt with the top few buttons undone.

"What are you doing here?" he asks me.

"I had to see your world for myself. I wanted to see the appeal of it," I tell him as I twirl around him like Alice was doing earlier. It's then I notice the pretty white dress I'm wearing.

"And? Could you see yourself living here?"

I smile brightly and nod. "Of course! What can I be here? What would you make me?"

Edward takes my hands, threading his fingers through mine. "I would make you my queen, Bella."

My smile fades slightly as I see the serious expression on his face. "Your queen?"

He nods, brushing my hair behind my ear. "Will you be my queen, Bella? Rule with me over my kingdom?"

I take a step closer to him, wrapping my arms around him as I nod. "I'd be honored to be your queen."

He presses his lips against mine softly, and then suddenly a shrill ringing pierces through my daydream. I open my eyes and spin around. "Yes, Angela," I say as I press the intercom button.

"It's time for your midday rounds, Doctor Swan."

I look at the time and blanch. _Where the fuck did the time go?_ "Yes, thank you."

I didn't even finish my morning report. That's just more work I have to do this afternoon. I sigh dejectedly and grab my things before heading to lunch. Everyone takes their lunch in the common room; it's where we have a part of group therapy. Everyone is present but Rosalie. Doctor Snow told me he would arrange for some of his nurses to come and get Rosalie to bring her to him. A man of his stature couldn't be bothered with coming to her, Lord knows…

The session doesn't go so well. Esme hardly speaks and only gives one words answers or a shrug when spoken to, Edward doesn't make eye contact and picks at his food, Emmett and Carlisle are too busy complaining about their meals to really talk about anything else, Alice and Jasper are too busy making eyes at one another, and I'm trying to scrounge up some form of normalcy from this session.

Finally, I give up. I stand and grab my tray. "You have a free afternoon to do as you please. I'll call some nurses and they can take you outside for a little while, maybe that will help the sour moods at this table."

It is very unprofessional of me to blow up like that, but I just couldn't take it anymore. Edward's refusal to look at me made me realize that I needed to distance myself from him. I'm too attached to him and that's not healthy for either of us. My main concern as far as him should be his getting better, not… becoming 'queen to his kingdom'.

As I walk back to my office, I stop outside of his room. His drawing is still covered with that blasted sheet. I have a dire need to know what he is drawing. I'm his doctor. I have a right to know. I walk into his room and remove the sheet, gasping at what I see.

Standing in front of me is a picture of… well, me. It's the back of me from my hips up. I'm completely naked; my head is turned to the side so that you can see my profile. The flowing thing I saw this morning is my hair flowing down my back. My arms are bent, so that if you could see the front of me you'd see I was covering myself with my arms.

"What are you doing in here?"

I turn and see Edward standing there with his hands clenched in fists and his lips set in a fine line. I feel like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. I quickly cover the drawing back up, but the damage is done.

"I have a right to know what you're drawing, Edward."

"Because you're my doctor, right?"

I stand up straight and nod. "Yes."

"Well, Doctor Swan, tell me how this helps anything?"

His face is furious, but there's something in his eyes that tell me something different.

"I… it…" _You changed the direction._ Alice's words echoed in my mind. "It's beautiful," I say in a soft voice. "You woke up with this image?"

His jaw clenches several times before he tells me. "You shouldn't be here."

I take two steps towards him, causing me to have to look up a little due to our height difference. "I know where I belong now, Edward."

After seeing the drawing and my daydreams this morning, something is abundantly clear too me now and I can not deny it any longer. I am drawn to Edward and out relationship is well beyond doctor and patient.

His body relaxes as I take another step towards him. I place my hands on his chest as he cradles my elbows in his hands.

"Bella…" he says softly. His voice sounds unsure.

I reach up and brush my thumb across his forehead. "There's no need to frown."

"But, we can't…"

I nod. "I know we can't…"

He cocks an eyebrow at me. "Bella, I'm not crazy. That whole kingdom thing is just something to keep the doctors on their toes. There's no way I'm getting out of here, though. As long as my parents keep paying the state for me to be here, they're going to keep me here. They don't want me … They never have. I will never be free of this place."

I shake my head. "But you can."

He frowns. "How?"

"We run."

His eyes get really big. "Are you nuts?"

I giggle. "I'm not crazy, Edward. If you won't be released, then the only way for us to be together is to run."

"Bella… I don't want to endanger you."

"Edward, I see you every day. I have been on the outside of your world looking in for far too long and I'm tired of it. I know you feel the connection between us. I do too and I'm tired of ignoring it."

His hands fly from my elbows to cup my face. "Me, too," he says desperately.

"Then we run."

"When?"

"Soon. Let me work out the kinks. Maybe a couple of weeks at the most."

He nods, his eyes flickering from my eyes to my lips. I stand on my tip toes and press myself against him. He wraps his arms around me, kissing me fiercely. The voices in the hall pull us apart. I run my fingers over his bottom lip before I hurry from the room and head straight to my office, keeping my head down and telling Angela to hold all my calls until later.

My mind is racing. How can I pull this off? How can I get Edward out of this place without getting either of us caught? That's when I notice all the work I have sitting on my desk for me to do. I quickly get everything done so I can plot and plan more.

A week goes by, I continue to spend more time with Edward than I should. I still have not come up with a logical plan to safely get him out of here. But I won't give up.

Around six pm on Thursday evening, I get up to make my final rounds for the night. Before I can walk out of my office door, Angela buzzes me. "Doctor Swan, Doctor Snow and Doctor Aldus are here to see you."

I gulp. _What are the big wigs doing on my floor?_ "Send them in," I tell Angela through the intercom. I take my seat just as they walk through the door.

"Were you about to head home, Bella?" Doctor Snow asks me.

"No, Albert, I was about to make my final rounds for the day."

Albert takes a seat in front of my desk, while Doctor Marcus Aldus decides to stand. "Bella," Marcus says, "we have a matter of business to discuss with you."

"Even though our patients aren't always… of their right mind, we still have to take things into consideration when they tell us things are happening that shouldn't be happening," Albert explains.

Marcus sighs as he finally takes a seat. "We know that this is your first time on your own and Albert and I know how hard it is to keep your distance from the patients. We spend so much time with them and we connect to them. We end up caring for them more than we should."

"It's come to our attention that you may be feeling… things you shouldn't for patient 48722," Albert says.

_Edward…_

"Is that so?" I ask.

Albert nods, giving me a sympathetic look. "Bella, it's okay. We want you to know that you aren't in trouble. This is not the first time this has happened but we are going to have to take some form of action."

My heart starts to beat extremely fast. I can feel myself breakout into a cold sweat.

"Action?"

"There's an opening in Maine."

"Excuse me? You're transferring me to the east coast? To the other side of the United States?"

Marcus sits up straight, feeling slightly affronted by my slight outburst, no doubt. "Bella, this is the best thing for you right now. You are a very promising doctor and we want you to remain on our team, but right now, that's not the best course of action. The hospital where we're sending you to has more patients for you to help, which will give you less of a chance to connect with any of them on a personal level. The doctors there are close friends of ours and are excited for your arrival."

"And if I say no?"

Albert and Marcus frown at one another before turning back to me. Albert clears his throat. "Bella, that's not something you would want to do. If you don't go, then we'll have to terminate you and that will look bad on your record. You can't throw your career away for…"

"For a crazy person?"

Marcus sighs. "Bella, see reason! Edward Masen is in no shape to leave this facility and even if he did start to shape up, it would still take him at least a year before we could even consider releasing him. There are better men suited for you than someone like him!"

I am completely offended by his remark. I stand and shake my head. "I can't take this offer."

Marcus stands with me. "You can and you will, Doctor Swan."

Albert stands and holds out his hands. "Bella, take the position. If Edward is really serious about being with you, then he'll get better and get released. Then he'll be able to join you in Maine. Then at least you'll still have your career and him."

My heart is screaming at me to not take this offer, but my mind can't see any other option for Edward and me. His words from earlier come back to me. _There's no way I'm getting out of here._ "You promise to release him once he's better?"

Albert and Marcus nod. "As soon as he shows signs of improvement and that he can function on his own, we'll release him."

"I want updates. Once a month."

They both nod. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. My heart is continuing to scream, but my head is right. This is the safest way. "I'll take the position. Let me speak with him, though."

Albert quickly tells me, "Of course. Go. Jessica and Mike have already taken care of your rounds."

I say nothing as I make my way straight for Edward's room. I knock and wait for permission to enter. As soon as I get it, I quickly open the door. I find him sitting in the middle of his bed, sketching in a book. He looks up and smiles brightly, tossing his things to the side as he springs off the bed. I shut his door behind me and look up at him. His smile falls.

"What's wrong? Something's wrong."

I nod, fighting back my tears. "Apparently during private sessions, Rosalie, or at least I assume it was her, told Doctor Snow and Doctor Aldus about the way I treat you. That I treat you differently and that I spend more time with you than the others. They did an investigation and found the accusations to be true. I'm being transferred."

"Transferred? Where are you going?"

"Maine."

He falls to the floor and holds his head in his hands. "No, no, no, no, no, no. They can't take you from me. I just got you. They've already taken everything else."

I kneel down in front of him, pulling his head up. "Edward, look at me, please."

Tears are brimming in his eyes, waiting for that one blink to make them fall. "They promised me that if you get better, they will release you. You know what you have to do, Edward."

"They won't release me, Bella. You know they won't."

"They gave me their word, Edward."

"Their word means nothing to me!" he screams.

"Stop. Please stop?"

He looks into my eyes. "I'm never going to see you again, am I?"

I nod my head. "You're going to see me again. You will see me and my bright smile the day you're released. I'll be here waiting for you, Edward. I'll wait for you forever."

He pulls me into his lap and hugs me close. "They'll never let me out," he whispers.

"They will. You just have to do what it takes to get out of here. No more jokes. No more fake delusions. Eat when you're supposed to eat. You do what they say."

"But what if they don't? What if I do all that and they still don't let me out? I've been close to release before and they refused it."

I rub my thumbs over his cheeks. "Then I'll come back for you. I want to be the queen of your kingdom, Edward. Nothing is going to stop me."

He gives me a small smile and nods. "Queen Bella of the Rainbow Kingdom."

I smile and nod, kissing him. Our kiss turns hungry and I know I have to leave. Kissing him is going too far, and I can't risk anything else now if we have a chance to live happily ever after. I get off his lap. I help him to his feet once I'm standing. He grabs the canvas and sheet, wrapping the sheet around the canvas tightly. "Take this. I want you to have it."

"How did you come up with this?"

He shrugs. "I'm used to undressing you with my eyes… but last night I got to do it with my hands. This image will stay burned into my memory forever."

I smile, holding back my tears again. "I'll hang it over my bed."

"I'll send you more once you get settled in."

I nod eagerly, "Yes, please do. When you get to Maine I want the whole house covered with your art."

There is a knock on the door and I know it's Albert and Marcus. I kiss him once more and hurry from the room. Albert and Marcus look at the sheet covered canvas in my hands. I pull it close to my chest and shake my head. "You don't get to see this. It won't take him long to get better, maybe a year at the most. You know just as well as I do that he's not crazy and never belonged here in the first place. Don't make me have to come back here, because if I do… career be damned."

I quickly left before the tears fell from my eyes.

~*~ A Year and a Half Later ~*~

I've been so excited for the past two weeks. Edward is finally being released. He proved himself sane after a year, but he had to stay in Forks for the last six months as a sort of probation to make sure he really could function in society on his own. I couldn't wait to see him, to see my king.

The plane pulls up to the terminal, finally releasing the passengers. I stand in the middle of the crowd of people waiting for their loved ones. I smile happily to the people around me as their kids or spouses greet them happily. It's starting to feel like the string of passengers goes on and on forever. How many people can this plane really hold?

Then… I see him. That wild auburn hair causes him to stand out amongst the crowd. We lock eyes and I feel it, our connection. I run to him, I can't help it. I have to be in his arms right now. I jump into his arms, hoping he doesn't fall over when he catches me. He only stumbles slightly, but wraps his arms around me and buries his face in my neck.

"My queen."

I giggle happily, pulling myself away from him so he can set me down. I hold his face in my hands and stare at him in wonder. "You look so healthy."

He chuckles. "That's what happens when you eat regularly."

I grab his hands and pull him towards the baggage claim. "Come, my king. Your chariot awaits."

"And my sparkling castle?"

"Happily sitting on the mountain top, waiting for your arrival."

He laughs loudly and pulls me into his arms. "I can't wait a moment longer. I've been waiting too long to do this," he tells me right before he presses his lips to mine, telling me so much more than words could with his heated kiss.

I pull away far enough to break the kiss, but not far enough away to cause my lips to leave his. "I've been waiting far too long for more than passionate kisses, Edward. I need you home NOW."

He chuckles softly. "Who am I to deny my queen?"

* * *

Leave me some love, if you got it. If not, thanks for reading! :)


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